transformational photography |

Gigi Glam

I host a photography event called “Fresh & Fabulous”, 4-6 women come to my studio and do a beauty, boudoir or fashion inspired session. We have professional hair and makeup, a stylist, refreshments, a little bubbly and a lot of fun. The premise is a transformational experience where you allow yourself to tap into your inner goddess and let her reveal herself. Some of my clients have not been photographed since their wedding day or graduation, we do what I like to call “big girl” dress up, where you try something different, if you don’t do sequins normally do them today. My focus is tapping into that inner beauty that is tucked away waiting to come out, modern glamour.

So Saturday at my event I told the “glam squad” to do me, no restrictions. Those of you who know me, know that I have been a natural curly girl for a long time, before it was a trend. The last time I can remember having my hair straightened was at my 50th birthday party. So when the team decided to straighten my hair and add clip on extensions I was nervous. I have never wore added on hair, no reason per say, I’ve always been blessed with a lot of hair and just never explored that option.

OMG so about an hour later I had this loooooong waist length blond “Beyonce” 20 years in the future “do”. The color was perfect! I felt like cinderella. So I rock my new locks for the day feeling very “housewife of some sexy city USA” flipping and tossing this mane every which a way. So at the end of the day, Edwin our hair stylist, told me it is time to take the magic down, and of course I say let me keep it for the weekend “PLEASE?”.

working the hair for the rest of the weekend

So of course I had to question the “why”? After pondering that thought for a while it came to me…I was brought back to my childhood where I was the little girl who wanted really long hair, blond would have been a bonus. The little girl who took her mother’s old stockings and braided them together and attached them to my pony tails to make them butt length. So I dug a little deeper and remembered going to school in racist New Jersey where I was the only little black girl at the catholic school I attended, and the prejudice I experienced was so unbearable, from the nuns as well as the other students. It was so baaaaad that when my parents were divorcing I was secretly happy because it meant we would be moving from this racist place, I did not know what California was like, but I knew it had to be better than this situation. Somehow little 8 year-old me was convinced that if only I had long blond hair, everyone would like me…how sad was that?

Moving forward this 55 year-old was pretty happy with her “hair” it was fun to explore that option for a minute, I worked it for the weekend and became pretty comfortable. I may have to invest in a few clip ons for those moments when I want that “long hair don’t care” look. It is amazing how easily you can transform yourself into whatever…most days I’m a little makeup and my ponytail but it is always nice to change it up.